New | Q&A: Hong Kong a hub for illegal gambling, says FIFA’s former head of security Chris Eaton

Last month, US federal police in Las Vegas arrested eight Asians on charges of operating an illegal online betting ring. Among those arrested was Paul Phua Wei-seng, a Macau junket operator with a San Marino diplomatic passport, who police say is a “high-level figure” in Hong Kong’s 14k triad. Phua denied the allegation and the charges through his lawyer and said he would defend himself vigorously in court.

Phua told police that he had investments in IBCbet, a major online betting website based in Manila, Philippines, according to court documents. His son Darren told police Phua actually owned the website, which is considered by industry sources to be Asia’s largest online gambling website with billions of Hong Kong dollars in monthly turnover.

The South China Morning Post talked to Chris Eaton, a leading expert of crime in sport, about how online betting works and what exactly makes it a hotbed for crime.

Q. What accounts for the popularity of online betting sites? 

Firstly, its accessibility. Online is simple and easy and available on all communications devices. Then there is anonymity: Gamblers often use pseudonyms for direct access. Their details are only held by third party payments agencies. Another advantage is immediacy. Bets can be instantaneously adjusted as play unfolds, even betting against an original wager in attempt to break even or win.